Peter Robinson, Yorkshire-born but also living in Canada, is the author of the highly-successful DCI Alan Banks series. The latest in the series is FRIEND OF THE DEVIL.RTE: Describe yourself in a sentence?

Robinson: Succinct.

RTE: What's the one record you'd take to a desert island?

Robinson: None. Because if I took my favourite, I would soon grow to hate it, and why take something I hate to start with?

RTE: What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Robinson: A spy.

RTE: Who's your oldest friend?

Robinson: John.

RTE: If I ruled the world...

Robinson: It would be an absolute mess, probably even worse than it is now.

RTE: Which book do you wish you'd written?

Robinson: Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

RTE: What makes you angry?

Robinson: Listening to politicians justifying their unjustifiable decisions and actions.

Robinson: I divide my time between Toronto and Richmond, North Yorkshire, and I can’t really think of any other places I’d like to live. There are, however, lots of places I’d like to live for a weeks or months and move on – Sydney, Melbourne, Rio, Patagonia, Heron island.